Should Police Be Moved Back to Township Hall?

VILLAS — Mayor Michael Beck has proposed a council/citizen committee be formed to examine the township’s Public Safety Building to make a decision whether more money should be spent on repairs to the facility or if departments and courts housed there should be relocated to Township Hall.
“If I had one do over for the township, if I ever find a genie lamp and could wish one thing, it’s that we could do over the decision to get the Public Safety Building over at that airport,” he said. “We need to begin an earnest discussion about where we’re headed with this building in the future.”
He said discussion had nothing to do with personnel that worked in the Public Safety Building. Beck said the township was at a crossroads and had the choice of investing significant money into the building or look for an alternative.
In 1997, the township spent $400,000 to $500,000 for a new roof on the building but it has required patching since that time, said Beck.
The World War II era building was purchased from the county for $100,000 but the township has spent $4 million on renovation and maintenance, he said.
Beck said the building has a 50,000 square foot flat roof. To replace the roof today would cost well over $1 million, he said.
The mayor said the correct method would be to take the roof off and install trusses, removing air conditioning units in the process.
Beck said if council does not look at the situation now, there could be problems with the building in a year or two that would have to be addressed on an emergency basis after a heavy snowfall or rain storm. He also questioned having the township’s most important departments three miles away from Township Hall.
Professionals were not used to design use of the space in the building, said Beck.
Council members agreed to further discussion on forming a seven person committee to look at the problem. Beck said council would make the final decision such as returning the police department to Township Hall.
Deputy Mayor Kevin Lare called the Public Safety Building a “white elephant,” and said he had no problem exploring the issue.